da pinnacle： Liverpool's owners FSG are believed to be ready to battle Serie A giants to the signing of a “complete” Thiago replacement, according to a new transfer update.
Thiago's Liverpool future
da casino： The Reds made significant alterations to their midfield in the summer transfer window, making four new signings in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch. Heading out of the Anfield exit door were Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in what was one of the biggest changes to Liverpool's squad that Jurgen Klopp has made during his entire tenure.
There is still a clamour from some fans for the Reds to make another midfield signing, however, with a proper No.6 arguably adding more balance to the team, with Mac Allister not always looking entirely comfortable in the role. While various players have arrived and numerous others have moved, someone whose Liverpool career appears to be up in the air is Thiago.
The Spaniard is clearly a world-class footballer when fit and firing, but injuries have hampered him throughout his time at Anfield, and Thiago hasn't played a single minute of action this season. The Liverpool ace is out of contract at the end of this season, at which point a decision will need to be made about his future.
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Should the Reds decide that the 32-year-old can leave on a free transfer, rather than extending his stay at the club, they will surely look to sign a replacement for him. It looks as though they have already identified one player, following a new update.
Liverpool ready to battle for Piotr Zielinski
According to a fresh transfer claim from Italian publication Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are willing to battle Inter Milan for the signing of Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski, seeing him as a successor to Thiago.
The 29-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Napoli, with the Reds transfer target making 347 appearances for his current club, registering a total of 96 goal contributions (50 goals and 46 assists) along the way. Zielinski has been a long-time target for Liverpool, who he has actually beaten three times during his spell in Naples, with a move almost coming to fruition all the way back in 2016, before the Merseysiders ended up signing Gini Wijnaldum from Newcastle United instead.
Appearances
13
Goals
2
Assists
2
Pass completion rate
85.8%
Tackles per game
1.3
There is no question that he is a top-level footballer who could add a huge amount of quality to Liverpool's midfield, with Carlo Ancelotti once calling him a "complete midfielder" who "played in all positions" for him during their time together at Napoli. At 29, however, there would be doubts over whether the Reds should be looking to sign a younger alternative in midfield, with the Pole not necessarily someone who is going to remain at the top of his game for another four or five years.
For that reason, Liverpool should avoid making a move for Zielinski, for all his qualities as a player, with a switch making far more sense further back in his career instead.